Tuck, Osi, JPP all get to RG3

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- A couple of weeks ago, Jason Pierre-Paul complained that he wasn't having any fun this season.

That appears to have changed.

After getting two sacks in the Giants' win in San Francisco last week, Pierre-Paul collected another one in Sunday's 27-23 victory over Washington. He also forced a fumble on a separate play, when he took down Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III on a run behind the line of scrimmage.

William Perlman/The Star-Ledger/US PresswireJason Pierre-Paul brings down Robert Griffin III.

And after his sack, Pierre-Paul did a "Gangnam Style" dance, to the delight of the crowd.

"It was a great win," a smiling Pierre-Paul said after the game.

All three of the Giants' star defensive ends got to Griffin, the Redskins' rookie phenom. Justin Tuck sacked him on a third-and-5 in Giants territory in the second quarter, forcing a Redskins field goal attempt. Osi Umenyiora brought Griffin down on a second-and-8 early in the fourth quarter.

For Tuck, believe it or not, it was his first sack of the season.

"Finally. It is good to get off the schneid, with Osi and JPP killing me in the meeting room and calling me the old guy," Tuck said. "It was good to make a play and help this team win a football game."

Griffin, with his speed, isn't the easiest guy to track down. And the Giants' pass-rushing trio raved about the rookie after the game.

"He's faster than I thought he was," Pierre-Paul said.

"I'm pretty mad at the football gods for putting him in the NFC East," Tuck said.

"That guy is flat-out unbelievable," Umenyiora said. "That's the best quarterback we've played this year, for sure."

The Giants will have to face Griffin again, on Dec. 3 in Washington. In the meantime, Big Blue has four games to play -- against the Cowboys, Steelers, Bengals and Packers.

Not exactly a walk in the park.

The Giants had just eight sacks in the first five games of the season. But with nine in their past two games, the pass rush appears to be revitalized -- just in the nick of time.

Tuck and Umenyiora are important. But Pierre-Paul is the one who had 16.5 sacks last year -- fourth in the NFL, in just his second season. He's the biggest playmaker the Giants have on defense, and they need him to continue to perform at a high level.

"I think he had a lot of fun today," Tuck said of Pierre-Paul. "I honestly think that whole 'not having fun' (thing) was blown out of proportion. It was good to see that he is starting to make the plays that we are accustomed to watching him make.

"Like I said, that guy, I think he is going to change the league. If he continues to do what he is doing, he is going to be good for a long time."

Kieran Darcy is an ESPNNewYork.com staff writer. He joined ESPN in August 2000 after graduating from the University of Pennsylvania, where he played four years of JV basketball.
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